After better-than-expected April same-store sales earlier this month gave some hope about consumers, results and forecast from major retailers on Tuesday signaled there’s still plenty of uncertainty heading into retailers’ crucial second half.

Investors gave Office Depot Inc.’s management a good grade on Tuesday in the wake of its November purchase of smaller rival OfficeMax.

The company’s shares jumped as much as 21% on Tuesday after it reported a better-than-expected first-quarter adjusted profit and its comparable sales also declined by less than expected. It raised its cost savings target and said it plans to shutter at least 400 U.S. stores by the end of 2016, including 150 this year. Chief Executive Roland Smith, hired after the merger for his track record in corporate turnarounds and integration, has assembled a roster of top executives, including Chief Financial Officer Stephen Hare and former Toys “R” Us executive Troy Rice as head of its retail.

Staples Inc. on Thursday joined its smaller rival, newly combined Office Depot Inc. and OfficeMax, in reporting disappointing sales and bottom line earnings, adding to worries about the the future of the office supplies industry.

Office Depot Inc.’s merger with smaller rival OfficeMax in November created a $17 billion business and more than 2,200 stores worldwide, and has made it a bigger No. 2 compared to industry giant Staples Inc. But the increase in size for now doesn’t look to stop the growing industry headwinds thrown its way.

With the mixed third-quarter results of retailers from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to Macy’s Inc. last week, investors are looking for more signals about the state of consumers and merchants’ holiday outlook with this week’s flood of major retail earnings reports from Home Depot Inc. to Best Buy Co.

The No. 2 and No. 3 U.S. office-supplies retailers announced plans in February to staple their fortunes together in a stock deal valued at about $1.9 billion. The FTC said Friday it “unconditionally cleared” the merger, which is expected to close Nov. 5.

Office Depot Inc. and OfficeMax Inc., the No. 2 and No. 3 U.S. office supplies retailers, saw their shares surge more than 7% each on the growing conviction their pending merger will be approved soon and yield promising cost cuts.

After finding itself as a rallying place for gun advocates and target of anti-gun activists, Starbucks Corp. said firearms are no longer welcomed in its stores, in a move that may propel other stores to follow suit.

With mobile devices changing the way people work, Staples is feeling a pinch as it seeks to reinvent itself. Its shares slumped 13% on Wednesday to be the biggest S&P 500 decliner after its second-quarter profit and sales both missed expectations and it cut its guidance for the year, now pointing to a sales decline instead of prior forecast for a gain.

About Behind the Storefront

Behind the Storefront is a blog about all things retail. It’s aimed at investors, shoppers and anyone else with a passion for learning about what drives consumer behavior. Hosted by Andria Cheng, Behind the Storefront will cover the business, brands and shopping behavior that’s behind some of the biggest companies, and largest employers, in the world. You can reach Andria at Acheng@marketwatch.com.